Suspension clamp



F. H. MILLER SUSPENSION CLAMP July 1, 1930..

Filed Nov. 19, 1927 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Frede ATi'ORNEY INVENTOR ricHMiller.

Patented July 1, 1930 FRED'ERIG H. MILLER, OF WILKINSBURG,

PENN SYLVANlIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTING- HOUSE ELEGTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VAN IA SUSPENSION CLAMP Application filed November 19, 1927. Serial No. 234,373.

My invention relates to transmission-line supporting clamps and particularly to clamps of the suspension type.

One object of my invention is to provide a clamp, of the above-indicated character and embodying relatively movable engageable parts, that shall operate substantially free'of friction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a transmission-line clamp for automatically releasing the line, in response to predetermined movement thereof, that shall effect the automatic release in a more effective manner and remain in condition to so operate better than similar clamps heretofore employed.

.A further object ofv my invention is to provide a clamp that shall be simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in its operation.

In transmission-line practice, clamps such as those employing U -bolts, J-bolts and the like have beenextensively employed for permanently and rigidly clamping the conductor.

More recently, clamps for yieldingly or releasingly clamping the conductor have been adapted to normally securely hold the conductor and to release the same under predetermined abnormal conditions.

One such clamp of the latter type em bodies relatively movable suspension and clamping members which, in response to breakage of the conductors or other abnorlease, or to permit the release of, the clamping members. A clamp of still another type employs means wherein a conductor may be pulled through the clamp against the clamping forces.

Any of the above-mentioned yieldingly or releasingly holding clamps of which I am aware, has certain objections, such as expense and complication of manufacture and the danger of becoming inoperative from weather and other effects. I 1

In one clamp of this general type, frictional wear between relatively movable engaging parts constitutes an objection which is likely to cause damage to the clamp and mal conditions, cooperate to positively reto interfere with its continued effective operation.

It is my aim to overcome the above-mentioned objections and to provide a clamp that is not only economical to manufacture, simple in form, easy to manipulate, and effective in its operation but that shall be so free of wear and proof against weather and other effects as to render it more effective in operation and to permit it to remain so over longer periods of time than similar clamps heretofore employed.

Accordingly, in practicing my invention, I provide a clamp embodying a supporting or suspension element, relatively movable clamping members supported thereby and normally-engaging relatively movable members for sustaining the clamping forces and including means for so rendering the en gagement therebetween substantially frictionless as'to attain the objects of my inven tion and to render the clamp an improvement, in general, over similar clamps heretofore employed.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a side view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a clamp constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view, taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of my invention,

Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, taken along the line VV of Fig. 4, I

Fig. dis a view, similar to Figs. 1 and 4, of a further modified form of my invention, and I Fig. '7 is a view taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the device comprises a lower clamping or conductor-resv ceiving channel member 2 for the reception of a conductor 3, an upper cooperating clamping shoe or member 4, a spring 5 for effecting clamping relation between the clamping'members 2 and 4, a cam member 6 on the spring 5, a'supporting or suspension element 8, and a roller 9 carried by the element 8 for cooperation with the cam 6.

The lower clamping or channel member 2 has a main body portion 11 of substantially half-tubular formation, flared end portions 12, a depending intermediate portion 14, longitudinally-extendiug' reenforcing side Webs 15 and upwardly projecting side lugs 16.

The upper clamping member or shoe similarly comprises a half-tubular main body portion 18 and flared end portions 19, and further, com-prises supporting portions 20 for the ends of the spring 5, and side portions 21 of inverted substantially cupshape for positioning over the lug 16 of the lower member 2. Y

The suspension or supporting element 8 is preferably in the form of a yoke having side legs 23 .and a mid portion 24, joining said legs,- that is in the form of a usual socket for attachment to the lower pin of a suspension insulator string. The roller 9 is mounted between the upper portions of the legs 23 by a pin or shaft 25 and a cotter pin 26; V

The lower ends'of the legs 23 of the yoke 8 areadaptedfor thereception of trunnions 28, from which links 29, carried thereby, extend to positions opposite the depending portion 14 of the lower clamping member 2. The links 29 are held in position by a bolt 30, extending therethrough and through the portion 14, and prevented from turning by lugs 32 on the mid portion 14. The yoke 8, the trunnions 28 and the links 29 normally constitute a permanently assembled unit which may be disconnected from the remainder of the structure by removal of the bolt 30.

The cam" member 6 is secured to the spring 5, by a screw or rivet 33 and lugs 34, and is provided with an arcuate upper surface 35 drawn about the axis of the trunnions 28, in the clamping position of the parts. The trunnions 28 are preferably disposed in alignment on an axis extending through the axis of the conductor 3.

Under normaloperating' conditions, the parts are in positions substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1, in which the surface 35 extends for a predetermined distance, such as on either side of the center of the yoke 8. This distance is normally sufficient tocompensate for the usual line oscillations, without releasing the clamping force of the spr ng 5.

However, when for any reason, such as breaking of the conductor 3, the clamp and the insulator string, to which the clamp is attached, swing to one side of the normal operating position thereof, angular movementof theyoke 8, about the trunnions 28 relative to the clamping members 2 and 4, causes the roller 9 to roll off the surface to release the spring 5 and consequently, to release the pressure between the clamping members 2 and 4 and to release the conductor.

In mounting the parts relative to the con ductor, the yoke 8 is moved about the trunnions 28 to one side of its central position, illustarted in Fig. 1, relative to the links 29 and to the clamping members 2 and 4 and advanced toward the yoke and its associated parts so that the bolt 30 may be placed in posit-ion. After so assembling the parts, they may be caused to assume clamping condition by moving the yoke 8, angularly about the trunnions 28 relative to the clamp ing members 2 and 4, during which operation the roller-9 rides up one end of the cam 6 and onto the surface 35 to depress the spring 5. During this operation, clamping forces are exerted between the clamping members 2 and 4 through the spring 5, the yoke 8 and other parts. The telescopic inter-fitting relation of the lugs 16 and the cup portions 21 interlocks the clamping members 2 and 4 to prevent the withdrawal 5 of the upper clamping member 4 along the conductor in the released condition of the clamp.

In clamps of the above general character,

heretofore suggested, members corresponding to the cam 6 and to the roller 9 have cooperated in direct frictional engagement which, under the substantially constant oscillati'on of the line are likely to so damage the parts as to reduce the required clamping forces and to render the device ineffective.

By my invention, direct rubbing friction between these parts is prevented and a structure provided that is more effective in operation, more durable in construction and more readily repaired and that is improvement in other respects over prior devices.

In the modifications of my invention shown in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference characters;

Referring. to Figs. 4 and 5, the structure is similar to that above described, with the ekception that the spring 5 and the cam 6' are disposed on the lower clamping member 2', the links 29 are connected to the upper clamping member 4, and the legs 28 of the yokeSare extended to support the pin 25 and theroller 9 below the clamp in cooperation with the cam 6.

In this structure, the reenforcing ribs 15 also, serve to enclose the spring and the cam 6 to protect the same against rain, snow, sleet, dust and the like.

In the form of my invention illustrated inFigs. 6 and 7, the structure is also similar to that of the previous figures, except that the roller 9, instead of being mounted in fixed position on the yoke 8, is yieldingly mounted thereon by the spring 5 and a supion (all

porting carriage or bracket 37 on which the roller 9 is mounted. The spring 5 is secured to the yoke 8, as by a screw or rivet 38. The pin 25, on which the roller 9 is mounted, is carried by the bracket 37 and extends through slots 40 in the side lugs 23 of the yoke 8 to be guided and maintained in proper position thereby. Also, the cam member 6, instead of being carried on the spring 5, as in the above-described forms, constitutes an integral part of the upper clamping shoe or member 4.

While I have shown and described particular forms of my invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A transmission-line clamp comprising a conductor-receiving member, a relatively movable supporting element therefor, an element for clamping a conductor relative to said receiving member, a cam portion associated with one of said elements, and means carried by the other of said elements and responsive to movement of said supporting element relative to said receiving member for rolling cooperative movement relative to said cam portion for clamping and releasing said clamping element relative to the conductor.

2. A transmission-line clamp comprising a conductor-receiving member, a relatively movable supporting element therefor, an element for clamping a conductor relative to said receiving member, a spring element between said supporting and clamping elements, one of said elements including a cam portion, and means carried by one of said elements for rolling movement relative to said cam portion and responsive to movement of said supporting element relative to said receiving member for actuating said spring to clamp and release said clamping element relative to the conductor.

3. A transmission-line clamp comprising a supporting yoke element, a conductor-receiving member pivotally mounted between the legs thereof, a shoe element for clamping a conductor relative to said receiving member, a bowed-spring element between saidyoke and shoe elements, a cam portion associated with one of said elements, and a rotatable member carried by one of said elements for rolling movement relative to said cam portion and responsive to movement of said yoke relative to said receiving member for actuating said spring to clamp and release said shoe relative to the conductor. I

4. A transmission-line clamp comprising a supporting yoke, a conductor-receiving member pivotally mounted between the legs thereof, a shoe for clamping a conductor relative to said receiving member, a bowedspring mounted on said shoe, a cam portion associated with said spring, and a rotatable member carried by'said yoke for rolling movement relative to said cam portion and responsive to movement of the yoke relative to the receiving member for actuating the spring to clamp and release the shoe relative to the conductor.

5. A transmission-line clamp comprising a conductor-receiving member, a relatively movable supporting member therefor, an element for clamping a conductor relative to said receiving member, an element actuated by said supporting member, a spring between said elements one of which includes a cam, and means carried by one of said elements for rolling movement relative to said cam portion and responsive to movement of said supporting member relative to said receiving member for actuating said spring to clamp and release said clamping element relative to the conductor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of October,

FREDERIG H. MILLER. 

